GTA4 Hijacks Steam, Vice City Offered Free

In one of the most significant digital distribution deals any publisher has signed, Valve will be offering Rockstar's uber-popular Grand Theft Auto IV for purchase with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as a free perk.

For $49.99, a $10 discount from the game's launch price, PC gamers awaiting the arrival of the latest grand gangster title from Rockstar can pre-order GTA4 within the next week and receive a free digital copy of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City with their purchase.

Rockstar and Valve have been cooperating with Steam digital downloads since they began selling the classic Grand Theft Auto releases for $9.99. This latest deal is perhaps Valve's largest in terms of promoting its online download service. Released earlier this year to first week sales of $500 million, the chance to own both GTA4 and Vice City for $50 could be an enticing deal for PC gamers who prefer their mobsters on a monitor.

Valve leader Gabe Newell likely sees this high-profile game as a key step in the realization of his "every videogame on Steam" goal. "I expect we'll go back in time and eventually pretty much every game that's ever been available will be on there 24/7," noted Newell on his dream that titles past and present will be sold digitally directly to consumers.